EBM8: Guidelines for ecosystem approach to management across the Arctic: who, what, where and how?

Date: Friday October 12, 2018

Location: Saivo, Lappia Hall

Time: 10:30-12:00

The Arctic Council’s Joint PAME/AMAP/CAFF/SDWG Ecosystem Approach Expert Group (EA-EG) has been tasked with the development of guidelines for an Ecosystem Approach to management in the Arctic. The EA-EG is developing a framework for EA guidelines and now seeks engagement with the Arctic Council and its partners to fully develop them. A first draft of EA guidelines resulting from the EA-EG’s 6th EA Workshop (https://pame.is/index.php/projects/ecosystem-approach/ea-documents-and-workshop-reports/6th-ea-workshop) will be presented as a starting point. Presentations on Case Studies of EA will be made by EA experts from the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES), Arctic countries, observers and Indigenous communities, followed by facilitated discussion. The case studies and discussion will address the “who” of EA guidelines (who is the target audience?); the “what” (what are guidelines? at what level of detail and specificity?); the “where” (addressing scale integration from pan-Arctic to local); and “how” (how does one implement guidelines?). The output of the session will be a written summary outlining key points of discussion and recommendations for future Arctic Council priorities and cross-working group collaboration to advance Ecosystem Approach to Management and conservation of marine biodiversity.

Chair: Hein Rune Skjoldal, Institute of Marine Research

Format: Series of presentations followed by moderated panel discussion

Presentations:

  1. Introduction to Guidelines for Ecosystem Approach to Management (EA) in the Arctic: Hein Rune Skjoldal, Institute of Marine Research pdf
  2. The Circumpolar Inuit Wildlife Management Summit 2017: Nicole Kanayurak, Inuit Circumpolar Council pdf

Moderated panel discussion led by Hein Rune Skjoldal, Institute of Marine Research 

Panelists:

  • Nicole Kanayurak, Inuit Circumpolar Council  
  • Maya Gold, Fisheries and Oceans Canada 
  • John Bengtson, NOAA
  • Cecilie von Quillfeldt, Norwegian Polar Institute 

Abstracts:

Introduction to Guidelines for Ecosystem Approach to Management (EA) in the Arctic

Hein Rune Skjoldal, Institute of Marine Research
Elizabeth Logerwell, NOAA Fisheries

The following 6-element framework for Guidelines for EA will be described: 1.Identify the geographic extent of the ecosystem 2.Describe the biological and physical components and processes of the ecosystem, incl. humans and their activities 3.Set ecological objectives that define sustainability of the ecosystem 4.Assess the Current state of the ecosystem (Integrated Ecosystem Assessment) 5.Value the cultural, social and economic goods produced by the ecosystem Manage human activities to sustain the ecosystem

 

The Circumpolar Inuit Wildlife Management Summit 2017

Vernae Angnagoobok, Inuit Circumpolar Council
Pitseolalaq Moss-Davies, Inuit Circumpolar Council
Carolina Behe, Inuit Circumpolar Council

Inuit communities continue to rely on the Arctic’s natural resources for food security – where food security encompasses complex and interlinked cultural and environmental systems and food practices provides cultural and physical sustenance daily. Inuit across the circumpolar Arctic participate in, and in some cases, have been party to the development of, wildlife co-management regimes dictating their access to wildlife resources while relying on their Traditional management practices. Despite the array of regional, national, and international regulatory and political activity driving Arctic wildlife management, Inuit continue to face barriers to protecting their basic rights to food security and implementing practices that support biodiversity both domestically and internationally. In response to long-standing concerns, ICC hosted a circumpolar Inuit wildlife management summit to bring Inuit together to discuss wildlife management beyond borders. This presentation will provide an overview of the Summit and actions put forward that will further support Inuit contributing to and adding new information and knowledge needed to advance a holistic understanding of the Arctic and inform ecosystem based decision-making. An Inuit perspective will be shared on how holistic management builds stronger protection of the ecosystem, inclusive of Indigenous Peoples and cultures, as Inuit envision the future of Arctic wildlife management, where the management of migratory species are not bound by regional, national, and international borders.